


behind the lines

by soobnightie



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Bad Flirting, Beomjun are oblivious, Choi Beomgyu becomes a flirt too, Choi Yeonjun is a Flirt, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, M/M, side tyunning, taebin has to deal with them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:53:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28281204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soobnightie/pseuds/soobnightie
Summary: Yeonjun loves flirting with people and watching them panic. Beomgyu is the first person that made Yeonjun panic instead. And behind their lines, buried and underlying feelings starts pouring out.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Choi Yeonjun
Comments: 7
Kudos: 74
Collections: TXT Secret Santa Fic Fest 2020





	behind the lines

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mymelancholy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mymelancholy/gifts).



“Hey, you’re from Class C right?” Yeonjun asks the person who was talking to their friend by their lockers.

“Yeah, is there anything you need?”

“Well, you see, I’m writing a term paper about the finer things in life and I was wondering if I can interview you?”

“O-oh, uh,” The person stumbles over their words. “Thanks! Bye!” That was all that they could say and ended up shyly running away as they pulled their friend with them.

"Wow, that's actually the corniest pick-up line I've ever heard but still worked. How does he make it work?" Beomgyu confusingly says to his friend, Taehyun.

"Well it's Yeonjun-hyung who said it, what do you expect? Anyone he flirts with is bound to get flustered at whatever he says. I'm starting to think that that might actually be his superpower now."

"I still don't get it, it's just hyung, how do they get flustered from all these corny shit he says." 

"Well maybe it just doesn't affect you since you've been his friend ever since you're both in diapers but it seems to work on everyone else. And let's be honest, hyung is pretty handsome and charming too so,"

"Don't tell me you like him?"

"What? No! Well, I do but not like that! It's just he really is attractive okay? And you know I already like someone else."

"I know, I know, I was just teasing you." Beomgyu says as he giggles at his friend's reaction and Taehyun just rolls his eyes.

"Oh, Gyu and Taehyun-ah! Just right on time, let's walk to the cafeteria together, they're probably waiting for us there already."

"You’re the corniest person ever.” Beomgyu unpromptly says to Yeonjun as soon as he approached them making him confused

“I didn’t even do anything yet?”

“I just feel like you’re not told that enough.” Beomgyu says making Taehyun giggle.

“We heard you and your pick-up line to that person, hyung. Beomgyu-hyung said it was corny.” Taehyun tells Yeonjun.

“Well if you think it was corny then why did it work?”

“Because they already like you, duh.” Beomgyu rolls his eyes while saying that as if it’s not the most obvious thing ever.

“Well who wouldn’t like this handsome face?” Yeonjun says trying to showcase his handsome face to his friend as he also winks at him. Beomgyu just looks at him seemingly ready to bicker back but Taehyun immediately cuts him off.

“Alright, that’s enough bickering. Let’s go to the cafeteria, time is already running out and we might get caught by the bell as we eat. Soobin-hyung and Hyuka are already waiting for us there too so let’s go.” The two friends immediately stop and follow the younger one to the cafeteria where their friends have been waiting. They went to the counter first to buy food they’ll eat and noticed the chocolate cake slices just right behind the display case.

“I didn’t know they serve chocolate cakes now, I want one.” Beomgyu, the first to point out the cake, already trying to search for his wallet to see if he has enough money for it as they line up to the cashier.

“Yeah but knowing this school, those cakes won’t be free and it won’t be cheap either. I’ll pass for now, I’m still trying to save up for something.” Taehyun, the practical one, is already unaffected by their school’s tactics to get more money from their students.

“Yeah, trying to save up for a gift~” Beomgyu teases Taehyun.

“Shut up, hyung.” Beomgyu giggles at him while still trying to count all the money he has.

“Do you really want one?” Yeonjun asks him. Beomgyu looks at him suspiciously.

“Why, do you have money?” He asks.

“No, but I can get it for you in a different way.” Yeonjun suggests leaving Beomgyu confused with what he just said.

“Are you stealing the cake?” Beomgyu asks him in a whisper.

“What? No? Of course not. I-” Yeonjun looks around. “I’m gonna _persuade_ them into just giving it to me.”

“By persuade you mean flirt?”

“No, no, more like flattering them into giving it to me.” Beomgyu looks at him as if asking him if he’s sure about what he just said.

“What? Are you doubting me and my charisma?” Yeonjun asks as he raises his eyebrows.

“I really doubt that’ll work.”

“Oh come on, just trust me with this one.”

“Do you really think that that lady would just fall for that? I'm pretty sure other students have tried that 'persuasion' tactic on them already so they won't be bothered.”

“Okay, you won't be getting any cakes then, because I'm only getting one.”

“As if it'll work.” As soon as Beomgyu says that it was already Yeonjun's turn to get some food and pay for it. He got what he usually gets, chicken with some vegetables and an Iced Americano. Right as he pays for it he began his ‘persuasion’.

“Miss Jo, it's been a while, looks like you have a new hair color. It looks pretty on you.” Yeonjun says with the sweetest smile.

“Ohh, you, thank you. I've been wanting to get this hair color for a while, though I still have to put it in a hairnet but I'm fine with it, thanks for noticing.” Somehow the lady is already getting flattered with just the mention of her hair color but it was enough to make Beomgyu have second thoughts about whether the older's ‘persuasion’ will work or not.

“Oh, and that makeup too, I bet that's a new lipstick. Did your husband get it for you? Looks like he really knows your taste, it looks good on you too.” Yeonjun flatters her more as she puts his money in the register machine. The lady ended up giggling at what he said.

“You sound like my son, but yes he did get it for me. At first I didn't think it would look good but now that you said it, ah I should really treat him some food later.” She says as she hands back his change.

“Thank you, miss. I hope you guys have a good date later.” Yeonjun got the change and was about to leave already. This confuses Beomgyu because didn't he say he'd get cake? But then the lady stopped him.

“Is there anything else you want? You really know how to compliment a lady and make her day a bit better, so maybe I can treat you with some dessert? We have chocolate cakes.” She cheerily says to him.

“Oh, but I don’t really have any extra money with me today, so maybe next time?” Yeonjun says, rubbing the back of his neck like he didn't plan this all along.

“It's alright, it’s on the house and they wouldn't mind it. Just don't tell anyone.” The lady whispers.

“Sure! Thank you so much, miss” Yeonjun brings his tray forward and the lady puts a slice of cake on it.

“Alright, have a good break.” She waves at him. Beomgyu just stood there, still processing the fact that it actually worked and thinking how he could do that too.

“Young boy, there's a line behind you, hurry up.” The lady ushers him.

“Oh, right, sorry.” Beomgyu apologizes and goes on to ordering his food.

“Is there anything else you want?” The lady asks him and Beomgyu thinks for a moment.

“You know, auntie, you look really pretty today, uh-” He stumbles upon his words trying to think of ways to maybe also flatter them into giving him the cake. “A-and the cake looks really good too, I bet you made it.”

“I didn’t.” The lady firmly says.

“O-oh well, that cake still looks good.”

“Yes, and it’s 4,600 won, will you buy it?” Beomgyu’s eyes widened at the mention of the cake’s price. _How is a cake from school so expensive?_

“N-no, I don’t really have money for it right now.” He says as Taehyun, who was beside him the whole time, face palms internally not being able to handle the second hand embarrassment he’s getting from his hyung.

“Well then please proceed to your table if you’re not getting anything else, we still have a long line to take care of.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.” Beomgyu apologizes again and walks to the table where Soobin, Hueningkai and Yeonjun were waiting for them. 

“What took you so long?” Soobin asks him.

“I… couldn’t decide what to eat...” Beomgyu answers and as he sits down, Yeonjun teases him with the cake he got.

“Look at this cake, isn’t it neat? Wouldn’t you think my food is complete?” Yeonjun sings in the melody of ‘Part of your world’ from the Little Mermaid. Needless to say it annoyed Beomgyu a bit. “I told you I’ll get you cake but you wouldn’t trust my flattering skills.”

“I hate you so much, how do you make it look so easy.”

“I’m Choi Yeonjun, it’s bound to work.” He says with a cheeky smile. Beomgyu just rolls his eyes.

“What was that, hyung? I’m still getting second hand embarrassment from what you did.” Taehyun finally arrives at their table. Their friends immediately started asking questions about what he just said but Beomgyu tried to shush him instead until he noticed the cake on his tray.

“Wait, you got cake? I thought you were saving up your money?” Beomgyu asks, surprised that he actually bought the cake even though he said he’ll pass.

“I guess my persuasion was just better than yours.” Taehyun shrugs with a cheeky smile on his face as he sits down next to Hueningkai.

“You had extra, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.” Beomgyu pouts, he looks at Soobin and Hueningkai’s tray, they also have cake.

“You two bought cake too?? How come I’m the only one who doesn’t and has to suffer from embarrassment.” He places his head on his hands.He pretends to sulk for a short while until he feels a plate being pushed by his arm. He looks up and sees Yeonjun pushing it to him.

“What are you doing?” He asks him.

“I don’t really like chocolate cakes.” A blatant lie, but that’s all he said and began eating already.

“Oh, looks like hyung already gave you his cake, I was gonna share mine.” Hueningkai says, eating the slice he was gonna give Beomgyu.

Beomgyu looks at the cake, _He didn’t really have to do that. It’s just cake, he knows I was just pretending to sulk._

But then again, he knows that even if he told him that he’d still give it to him. Yeonjun might be a tease to his friends but he still takes good care of them, especially Beomgyu. Most especially Beomgyu. Maybe it’s because they’ve known each other ever since, knowing that they’re childhood friends, or maybe something else, something they could only answer themselves.

“Thanks, hyung.” Beomgyu smiles at him and Yeonjun smiles back. That smile with such genuineness, the smile that the younger might have always been fond of.

  
  


•••

  
  


“Maybe you should try to learn how to flirt too, hyung.”

“Where in the world did that come from?” Beomgyu surprisingly asks Taehyun as he turns around to face him with his gaming chair. Taehyun, Hueningkai and Beomgyu decided to study at Beomgyu’s place while Yeonjun and Soobin are doing their group projects. Though it’s more like hanging out rather than studying with what they’re doing right now as two out of three of them are playing games.

“So, you could, you know, get a cake too?” Taehyun says not looking up at the textbook he’s reading.

“It’s just cake anyway, I could just get one when I already have my allowance.”

“Or you could get a date.” Hueningkai laughs at Taehyun’s response.

“Hey! That’s a bit uncalled for! And even if I don’t learn how to flirt I could still probably get a date you know.” Beomgyu tells him and the other two just laugh. 

“Stop laughing you two, you guys don’t even have dates either.” The laughing stops. “That’s what I thought.”

“Anyway, what’s your answer in number 17, Hyuka?” Taehyun changed the subject and the other began answering his schoolwork too after being asked the question while Beomgyu goes back to the game that he’s been playing. His aim somehow became worse after what Taehyun told him which wasn’t leaving his mind. 

_What will flirting do to me anyway?_ Beomgyu contemplates. _What will I gain from it? It’s not like I know a lot of people to flirt with in the first place and-_

“Defeat.” The voice in his game declares as Beomgyu loses the game. He frustratingly sighed and went on to play another round. While waiting to find a match, he goes back to his thoughts again.

_I wonder why hyung even finds it fun that he does it so much._ Beomgyu thinks for a while and remembers what Yeonjun told him when he asked him why he likes flirting around with people so much.

_“It’s fun and their reactions are cute. It’s also interesting to see how different each and every person’s reaction when I flirt with them.”_ Yeonjun tells him after thinking for a while when questioned by Beomgyu.

_“Really? Aren’t you just conducting a social experiment with that explanation?”_

_“Wait, what? No, no I-”_ He thinks about what the other just said about conducting a social experiment. _“Well, now that you said that… But no, I’m not conducting a social experiment. It’s just… fun.” He shrugs._

_“Okay… I guess I understand…”_ Beomgyu, who still clearly doesn’t understand, just went with what Yeonjun told him, making Yeonjun chuckle.

_“You’ll understand when you do it yourself.”_

Though he still doesn't really understand even until this day he decided to at least give it a try just to see what he actually meant by it. And who else would be the perfect person to try out his flirting skills with other than his great friend, Kang Taehyun. _If Yeonjun-hyung can get him flustered then maybe I can do that too_ , was what he thought.

Once the sun was setting and his two friends had already finished their schoolwork, he thought of it as the right time to test what he can do. His friends are packing their stuff, getting ready to go home, Beomgyu’s cue to try his flirting skills.

“Let me help you with your bag, Taehyun-ah, it looks heavy.” Beomgyu swings Taehyun’s bag on his shoulder. It is not heavy.

“Your hand looks pretty heavy too, let me hold that for you.” He says as he proceeds to hold one of his friend’s hands and wink at him.

Taehyun and Hueningkai just looked at each other, standing in both shock and cringe from what their friend just did. There was nothing but a really long awkward silence until Hueningkai broke it with the sound of his laugh.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Taehyun asks, extremely confused.

Beomgyu lets go of his hand. “You said I should learn how to flirt?!”

“Hyung, when I said ‘maybe you should learn how to flirt’, I didn’t mean to try it on me. And what was with that flirting anyway? You said Yeonjun-hyung is corny with all his flirting but have you seen yours?”

“Well… It- it needs work, okay?”

“Yeah, lots and lots of work, hyung.” Hueningkai giggles and Taehyun joins him.

“Alright, alright! I’ll work on it, stop laughing at me!” Beomgyu tells them and the two stop laughing. Well, they try to. Hueningkai couldn't hold it in and ended up laughing again making Taehyun laugh too. Beomgyu, who was just trying to make his friends stop from laughing, couldn't stop himself and joined them in the laughter too. _I guess it was pretty cringy too,_ he thought.

“You know hyung, the only way to know if your flirting is working is if you try it on Yeonjun-hyung. If he gets flustered then it works, but if he didn’t then you really need to work on it more. You know, since hyung’s really good at it” Hueningkai suggests.

“Seeing him flirting right now, I don’t think it would work on hyung, Kai.”

“Hey! I can get him flustered too, you know!”

“Sure, hyung.” Taehyun sarcastically says, swinging his bag to his shoulder.

“Yeah and I’m betting you on it.” He bets, not wanting to be proven wrong by his friends.

“What will you bet on it anyway, it’s not like you have your allowance right now either.”

Beomgyu thinks for a while about what Taehyun said and immediately came to a conclusion.

“Cake! You have to buy me cake if I get hyung flustered.” He says with a cheeky grin.

“And if you don’t then I’ll get cake?” Taehyun asks, now intrigued that he’ll be getting something sweet out of this bet.

“Wait, I’m the one who suggested it. I should be getting cake too.” Hueningkai pouts.

“Alright, alright. If I don't get him flustered then I buy you two cakes with all the allowance that I have left, but if I **do** get him flustered, then you guys buy me two cakes.” Beomgyu confidently says.

“Sounds fair.” Hueningkai and Taehyun accepted the bet.

“Okay, now let’s get the two of you home.” Beomgyu says joining them on going outside their house and accompanying them to their houses which is nearby.

•••

The next day, early in the morning by the bus stop, the three friends wait for the older two.

“Are you ready to get a cake, Kai-yah?” Taehyun asks him with a confident smile.

“Of course, are you ready to pay later Bom-hyung?” Hueningkai teases, Beomgyu shoots both of them a glare.

“How are you guys even sure you’re gonna win?” Beomgyu counters.

“How are you sure **you’re** gonna win, hyung?” Taehyun returned the question to him.

“Because I practiced last night.” He confidently says, putting both his hands on his hips. The other two laughed.

“Looks like hyung is really taking this seriously.”

“I want to prove to you that I **am** good at flirting and that hyung **will** get flustered with my insane flirting skills.”

“Sure hyung, whatever floats your boat.”

Speaking of their friend, Yeonjun and Soobin finally join them at the bus stop after some time. They greeted each other before the two became busy with their phones. Meanwhile, Taehyun and Hueningkai kept nudging Beomgyu to do his flirting already as soon as they all saw Yeonjun. Beomgyu kept shushing them and telling them to wait for him to do it himself.

“Oh? Is hyung nervous?” The two teases in a hushed tone, careful to not be heard by the unknowing victim.

“No! Just stop pressuring, I'll do it when I do it.” Was what he said but if he's honest, he's actually nervous, scared even. He keeps glancing at Yeonjun, trying to see if the time is right or if the other is not too busy for him to do his thing already. 

He did actually practice last night as soon as he got home. He stood in front of his mirror, practicing lines and poses for when he’s going to do it - and also maybe questioning his existence and the reason for why he’s even doing all of this in the first place - and now he isn’t sure if he should even continue or not. Then again, if he doesn’t do it, he will never hear the end of it from his friends.

_It’s just cake, why am I even doing this for cake?_ He questions his decisions.

He looks at Yeonjun for the last time, gathering up all his courage to finally get it all done. He doesn’t care anymore if he’s getting cake or not, he just wants to get it over with. He stands up, the two look at him. He makes his way to Yeonjun who was placing his phone in his bag, searching for his wallet, and puts his arm around his shoulder, struggling a bit since he was taller than him. 

Yeonjun’s face fills with confusion by the other’s sudden action. He was gonna ask him what he’s doing but that’s when Beomgyu shot his shot.

“What are you-”

“Hey hyung, you’re looking great today. I see you’re using your new padded jacket,” He says, touching the red jacket by it’s collar. 

“Y-yeah… But wait, what? I-” Yeonjun struggles for words to say.

“You’re so cool, hyung, and your hair,” Now he strokes his hair as he looks at his eyes but then stops.

Beomgyu doesn’t think he’s ever seen Yeonjun this surprised before, eyes wide not knowing what to do. He also doesn’t think he’s seen this many stars in someone’s eyes before, nor has he ever seen how beautifully the subtle pink hues rest on Yeonjun’s cheeks with his face so close to him.

“So beautiful,” was all that he could utter.

They stay the way that they are for what feels like hours to them. Beomgyu still has his arm around Yeonjun with his hand touching his hair and Yeonjun still looks as surprised as ever. Both of them are still staring into each other’s eyes, not one of them seems to want to look away. That is until the bus finally comes and stops in front of them.

Beomgyu snaps back into reality, his brain tries to process what had just happened, immediately running up into the bus. Taehyun and Hueningkai follow while Soobin picks up the wallet Yeonjun dropped and tries to make him move from his spot where he’s still standing in internal panic and shock, and face now as red as his new padded jacket. Now Soobin is the one who’s panicking. He thinks of ways to make his friend move but ends up with only one option.

“What the hell, Choi Yeonjun.” He says as he picks him up his spot and into the bus. “You owe me for this one.” He drops his friend on their seat parallel to their friends and the bus starts moving.

•••

The bus ride to their school feels longer than it should be. The sound of people chattering, the bus' engines and music are all heard clearly, maybe louder than normal as the friends all sat in silence. Not one of them moving an inch or saying a single word.

Beomgyu, well he's still processing. But he should be happy, he knows he should be happy. He's getting cake and he just proved himself with his ‘insane’ flirting skills to his friends. He made Yeonjun flustered. He made him run out of words to say and get his cheeks turn to pink, a sight he's never seen before, and something else. Something that's nagging him on the back of his head but chose to leave it alone. For now, at least.

“I think that's the first time I saw Yeonjun-hyung panic and become speechless.” Taehyun breaks the silence. Hueningkai, on the other hand, places his heads on his hands, still in disbelief. “I can't believe you really did it, hyung.”

Kai grabs Taehyun's shoulders and shakes him.

“You said we're getting cake! You're so confident saying that too! Now half of my money will go to a cake I won't even get to eat! Taehyun-ah!” Hueningkai cries at his friend.

“Well I'm not the one who suggested that he should try flirting with hyung.” Taehyun says as he also grabs his friend's shoulder, shaking him.

“Why did you have to say that it wouldn't work, now he got all competitive and had to bet.” Kai counters.

“Listen, listen,” Taehyun whispers to Hueningkai. “If we get out of class late then we won't have to buy him cake because it's all gone. Or, or we could leave class early or not attend it at all.” A not-so-master-plan Taehyun tells Kai.

“But Taehyun-ah, you're part of the student council, wouldn't you get in trouble?” Kai worries.

“Exactly, I'm part of the student council, I can get the two of us out of trouble-”

“Hey! I can hear the two of you, you know? I'm literally right beside you. You guys won't escape me from giving me my cakes later, I'll make sure of it.” Beomgyu tells them. “And the vice president is just right there, I can tell Soobin-hyung what you guys are planning.”

The two stop for a moment and Taehyun faces Hueningkai again.

“We have to buy him cake, Hyuka.”

“Nooo!” Hueningkai whines again. Feeling totally defeated, they lean back to their chairs, silent throughout the whole ride. Beomgyu, on the other hand, still has this nagging feeling on him that he doesn’t know why.

It nags, and nags, and nags, until he just lets it control him and looks at where Yeonjun is. He’s on the other side of the bus sitting by the window, only his hair can be seen since Soobin was sitting by the aisle. He can’t help but smile and remember Yeonjun’s flustered face, how it was a new sight to him and how it was probably one of the cutest things he’s ever seen.

_Cute_. That’s the word. That was the thing that was nagging him ever since he entered the bus, ever since he sat on his seat and tried to process more about what happened.

Cute. Yeonjun’s reaction was cute. Yeonjun’s flustered face was cute. Yeonjun who he never once saw stumble on his words, trying to find the right words to say when someone flirts with him was cute. He’s cute…

Is all that he can think of until he catches himself smiling at his thoughts. He immediately looks at his two friends beside him to see if they saw him smile but it looks like they didn’t, too busy on their phones to notice. He looks back again to Yeonjun, lips formed into a pout as he scrolls through his phone. Cute. Maybe this was what Yeonjun meant when he asked him why he flirts around so much, because people’s reactions are cute just like Yeonjun’s reaction a while ago.

_Yeah, that’s probably it and nothing else._ He settles with that thought and leaves the still nagging feeling on the back of his head.

  
  


Now for Yeonjun, he’s not processing it very well. His mind keeps going back to what just happened a while ago and none of it is still being processed properly by his mind. 

He thinks of Beomgyu placing his arm around his shoulders. Beomgyu, who noticed his new red padded jacket and complimented him. Beomgyu, who said he was cool and also called him beautiful. Beomgyu who always had stars in his eyes everytime Yeonjun looked at him but at that moment that they looked at each other, he had the whole galaxy instead.

And Yeonjun wanted nothing else but to keep floating there, seeing as he’s already in too deep.

“No way,” he mutters to himself, his friend beside him being the only one who can hear it.

Soobin chuckles at him. “So, Beomgyu’s flirting,”

“Shut. Up.” Yeonjun stops his friend from continuing what he’s about to say, he already knows what it is. Soobin still continued.

“Would you look at that, after all these times you try to avoid flirting with him, scared that he’ll catch up with how you feel about him, **he** flirts with **you** instead. Funny how the universe works.” Soobin looks at him with a teasing smile and Yeonjun glares at him. “Maybe he likes you too now.”

Hearing that made Yeonjun feel really happy, wanting to smile from ear to ear, but hearing that also feels too good to be true.

“I doubt it. There’s probably a reason why he did that.” He leans back to his chair as he reaches for his phone in his bag. Soobin pouts.

“Why are you always like this when it comes to Beomgyu liking you back? Who knows, right?”

“Exactly, who really knows if he does or not.” He says finally turning his attention to his phone, but deep down he also wishes that what Soobin said was real. That after all these years of only watching him from afar and not trying any of his flirting with him, too afraid he’ll see behind the lines he uses and figure him out, that maybe there could be a chance that he could like him back.

•••

It’s finally time for their lunch and the two friends, Taehyun and Hueningkai, were the last people to come out of their room. Taehyun finally thought of a way to avoid Beomgyu for some time, just until the cakes are gone in the cafeteria. He holds Hueningkai’s hand and leads the way.

_This isn’t really the situation I imagined when holding Kai’s hand but I guess I’ll take it._ Taehyun thinks to himself.

He doesn’t know when it started, he just looked at him one day and thought that he looked so bright, brighter than the sun could ever be. So Taehyun can’t help but look at him even when it was blinding.

They arrive at the end of the hallway and Taehyun peeks left and right to see if Beomgyu would be there. Once that he’s sure he wasn’t in their sight, he held Hueningkai’s hand tighter and ran towards the back of their school.

“Where are we going, Tyunnie?” A nickname that he made for him. Taehyun thinks it’s cute.

“Just… somewhere. You’ll see when we get there.” Was all that he said and just kept walking.

The place they’re going is a place he’s actually been wanting to take Hueningkai at. It’s a small garden at the back of their school that he and the student council found out about weeks ago. The garden didn’t look good at first, dead plants everywhere and traces of the plants not being given proper care. So they (by they, it was their vice president, Soobin) decided to take care of it themselves, taking the dead ones aways, planting more plants and some flowers here and there. After some weeks, it finally started looking better. They also started letting other students come to the garden but not a lot still goes so they left a letter by the entrance that if they went there, they should take care of the plants and not litter.

“We’re here now.” Taehyun lets go of his hand when they arrive by the entrance.

“Wait, our school has a garden?” Hueningkai asks, surprised that there’s a place like this in their school.

“Yeah, not a lot of people know about this so I guess that’s why not a lot of them go here yet.” He says as he fills two watering cans with water. “We did just discover and started taking care of this a few weeks ago. The student council also takes turns of taking care of it everyday.”

He finished filling the two cans and walked to his friend. “Today’s my turn, so let’s take care of them.” he says with a smile.

Hueningkai smiles back and takes the other watering can from his hand. They water each side of the garden as they both hum their favorite song. As soon as they finish, they both sit at one of the benches after Taehyun dusted it off so they can sit without having to have dirt on their pants.

They both sat there in silence for what felt like almost an hour for them, not really bothering if the bell has rung or not, both of them just wanting to spend this time with each other. Yet as always, Hueningkai’s the first one to break the silence.

“This garden’s really beautiful, I can’t believe not many people know about this yet. Thank you for bringing me here, Tyunnie.” He smiles at him.

“I really just brought you here so I don’t have to be the only one taking care of the plants.” He jokingly tells him and Kai laughs at it, and soon he joins too. His laugh is always so contagious and sounds so beautiful to him that he’d do anything to hear it.

“I thought we were hiding from Beomgyu-hyung?” He says, bringing back the main reason why they’re there in the first place.

“Oh, yeah. That too.” Kai giggles at his response.

They stay quiet again for a while until Hueningkai breaks it again.

“I think that’s my favorite from the rest that’s in here,” he says pointing at the only sunflower in the garden. “It looks so healthy and beautiful. Sunflowers are my favorite too.”

Taehyun looks at him, his eyes shining as he tells him about his favorite flower. Taehyun thinks he’s beautiful too, maybe more than the flower.

“Yeah, it was one of the healthy flowers we found when we found out about the garden. Ever since that we took really good care of it.”

“Tyunnie, did you know that sunflowers always face the sun?” A little fun fact that he looks so happy to share with his friend. Taehyun can’t help but smile and think about how he’s so cute.

“Oh, is that so? No wonder it’s facing you.” He tells him and Hueningkai takes a look again if it is really facing him and it is, his cheeks now turning pink.

“Oh,” he looks back at Taehyun smiling at him and he smiles back.

They smile at each other for some time like they’re the only people in the world, no one to bother them. Just Taehyun, Hueningkai and the sunflower facing both of them instead of the sun. That is until a voice shatters the silence

“I knew it, you guys will be here.” Beomgyu found them.

“How did you even find this place?” Taehyun questions him, confused since he’s pretty sure he only mentioned this place once to him.

“Let’s just say a certain vice president told me to go here and the directions to this place.” Beomgyu smiles.

“Soobin-hyung?” Hueningkai asks.

“Yup! Now let’s get those cakes!” He grabs both of their hands and the two boys groan as they go back inside the building.

Beomgyu lets go of their hands inside, walking together to the cafeteria, passing by the students still on the hallway. Hueningkai walks in front of them, greeting some of his friends as they pass by. 

Beomgyu sighs and Taehyun notices it. He looks at him and his face looks like it can’t be painted, the same face he makes when he’s confused about a math problem.

“What are you thinking of?” Taehyun asks him.

“It’s just, I flirted with other people and it is kinda cringey.” Taehyun chuckles at his answer.

“Glad you’re aware.”

“But hey, it worked on some of them too. They got pretty flustered too.”

“Well I guess your practice paid off, but what’s wrong?” Taehyun says, wondering why he still looks like he’s solving a math problem.

“I don’t think I got the reactions I thought I’d get.”

“What do you mean by that?” He asks again, still confused at what his friend is saying.

“Yeonjun-hyung, when I asked Yeonjun-hyung why he flirts so much he said because peoples’ reactions are cute and it’s interesting how different they react.” He looks at him. “They all look the same to me, but,”

He stops, trying to think of a way to properly say what he wants to say next.

“But? What?” Taehyun becomes more curious and impatient.

“Yeonjun-hyung’s reaction… his reaction was interesting.” Beomgyu admits looking the other way.

And with that one sentence, Taehyun’s interest has been piqued. “Oh? How so?”

“That’s the problem, I don’t know! Why do I find it interesting Taehyun-ah?” He grabs his friend’s shoulders and questions him instead. Taehyun giggles at him.

“I don’t know either, hyung, you should find that out yourself.” Was what he told him but he knows, and it’s about time Beomgyu read it.

He lets go of him, still contemplating the reason why he found it interesting. Taehyun might have to buy him cake but he already felt like he won either way with what Beomgyu told him. _Finally_ , he says to himself.

“Let’s go get your cake, hyung, it might help you figure it out.”

•••

Before going to the garden, Beomgyu went to Taehyun's and Hueningkai's classroom but as soon as he saw that they weren’t there, he went to their spot in the cafeteria thinking that they already headed there. When he arrived, the only people who greeted him were Soobin and Yeonjun.

“Are you looking for the two?” Soobin asks him, seeing that he keeps looking around the place.

“Yeah, they said they’ll give me cake.” He pouts.

“You can check the garden, it’s Taehyun’s turn to take care of the plants there.” He tells him as he takes a bite of his food.

“But I don’t know where that is.”

“We have a garden?” Yeonjun asks, confused and surprised they had one.

“Yes! There’s even a poster on the bulletin board. Do people even look there?” Soobin looks at the both of them and they try to avoid his eyes, he already got his answer. He sighs, “It’s at the back, far left.”

“Thanks, hyung!” He waves at him and just right before he goes, his eyes land on Yeonjun who was already looking at him as he drinks his drink. He winks at him and bids him goodbye too, running to get his friends after. _Cute_ , Beomgyu thinks to himself.

Yeonjun chokes on his drink, surprised from the wink and some of his drink went on Soobin’s arms.

“What the-”

Yeonjun immediately grabs some of the tissues, wiping his lips and his friend’s arms after.

“Sorry,” he mutters.

“Well-”

“No.” He firmly says, looking at Soobin. He knows that tone, he already knows what he’s about to say next without having to hear it.

“You didn’t even let me finish.”

“I already know.”

“I guess that’s why you’re my best friend.” He shrugs and goes back to eating his food.

Yeonjun still can’t accept it, he can’t accept that he’s still flirting with him without any reason, that he just likes to. _There must be at least one reason,_ he thinks to himself. He can’t accept that Beomgyu’s kinda cringey, yet also really endearingly cute, attempts at flirting is all that he could think of now. Still can’t accept that maybe, just maybe, there is a chance of him liking him back, that maybe he doesn’t have to be the only one who keeps falling.

•••

“Can’t believe there were exactly two left.” Taehyun says, putting down his tray on their table where Yeonjun and Soobin have been waiting for them.

“I guess It’s my lucky day.” Beomgyu shrugs, smiling that even though it took him some time to find his friends, he was still able to get the cakes he won from their bet just on time before it was all gone.

“Did you water the plants?” Soobin asks, pointing to Taehyun.

“Yeah, Kai helped me.” Taehyun answers, turning his head to Hueningkai’s way.

“I didn’t even know we had a garden, it was really beautiful.” Hueningkai tells them.

“Of course, of course, the student council takes good care of them.” Soobin says with a wide smile and a thumbs up. His eyes land on Beomgyu’s tray with two cakes. “Why do you have two cakes?”

“Oh, I won.” He proudly says.

“Won what?” He asks again, still confused.

“A bet.” Those two words seemed to have caught Yeonjun’s attention, making him look up from his food and look at Beomgyu. Soobin has a rough idea about what that bet could be, he’s having second thoughts on whether he should ask what kind of bet it is but his curiosity won’t let him rest.

“What- what kind of bet?” He asks, now looking at Yeonjun.

“Uh…” Beomgyu doesn’t know how to explain it so he looks at Yeonjun who was already looking at him, curiosity visible in his eyes.

“We had a bet that if hyung gets Yeonjun-hyung flustered with his flirting then we’ll get him cake and if he doesn't then we’ll get cake. And… well, he's the one who got cakes.” Hueningkai tells them, looking at Beomgyu’s cakes.

_Oh… I knew it._ Yeonjun was right that there might be a reason behind it, he just didn’t think that it would be this one and he didn’t think that it would actually ache this much once he was right about him having a reason to do so.

Sure, it is pretty hard to get him to panic or get flustered with someone’s simple flirting because he’ll flirt back and that person will be the one flustered instead, but that was different. That was Beomgyu, and he liked Beomgyu.

“Oh…” Soobin now feels like he shouldn’t have asked. “Well, that **was** the first time in a while since I’ve seen him get that flustered.”

He looks at Yeonjun to see his reaction and Yeonjun looks at him as if he’s saying ‘I told you.’ He regrets asking now.

They eat in silence after knowing about the bet. There’s an unexplainable awkwardness in the air that none of them wants to acknowledge. They let it sit like that, mostly affecting Yeonjun and Beomgyu. They steal glances from each other every once in a while, completely missing each other when they do so. Taehyun sees all of it, sees their glances and senses the awkwardness in the air, and it’s driving him crazy how oblivious the two are.

Taehyun slams his hand on the table, clearing the air and making his friends look at him. “So,”

He doesn’t continue.

“So?” Soobin asks, confused.

“The silence was suffocating me.” He finally continues.

“Coming from the person who likes the silence.”

“I don’t have to like it all the time though.” He looks at Yeonjun and Beomgyu again, still silent. “So what are you guys planning to do for the next few weeks?”

“Well, there’s Hueningkai’s birthday,” Soobin answers.

“We can just stay at our house and hang out.” Hueningkai suggests and both of them agree to it. Yeonjun and Beomgyu are still silent.

“So Yeonjun-hyung and Beomgyu, do you already have anything for Kai on his day?” Soobin asks them, catching up on who Taehyun has been looking at for the past few minutes.

“Uh, yeah, yeah. I already ordered my gift for him.” He says looking at Hueningkai who looks expectantly at him like he’s asking him what gift it is. “And no, I’m not telling you what it is.”

Hueningkai pouts and goes back to his food. Yeonjun was still distracted, not looking up from his food.

“Yeonjun-hyung,” Taehyun calls him and he finally looks up.

“Yeah?” He asks, eyes wide.

“We’re talking about how the surface of the sun is really not that hot unlike it’s core. So what do you think about that, hyung?” Taehyun asks him, making him really confused.

“What? I don’t know, I think it’s pretty hot?” Yeonjun answers the question and all of them laugh.

“No, you idiot, we’re not talking about that, we’re talking about Hueningkai’s birthday. It’s in a few weeks.” Soobin clears it up for him.

“O-oh, why did you ask me about the sun then? I already got him a gift. And no, I’m not gonna tell you what it is, Hyuka.” He says not even looking at Hueningkai who has been looking at him expectantly too, he goes back to his food again.

Soon after, the bell rang, signaling that their lunch is over. They all take care of their tables, stacking their plates together and their trays so it’ll be easier for the cleaners to clean their table leaving less mess that they had.

“Oh yeah, where’s your new jacket, hyung?” Taehyun questions Yeonjun after noticing he wasn’t wearing his new jacket.

“I left it in my locker for a while, it was getting hot.” He did leave it in his locker but that wasn’t the reason.

“Yeah, it was **definitely** because it was getting hot.” Soobin chimes in and Yeonjun nudges him.

Before classes started, Yeonjun was having a dilemma. His jacket doesn’t help at all when all that his mind can already think of was about what happened because every time he’d look at his jacket, all he remembers now is Beomgyu and what happened at the bus stop. So he keeps going back and forth with his decision to keep wearing it or not.

_“So are you going to your room or not?”_ Soobin asks him, growing impatient watching him looking at his jacket for minutes already. _“Why do you just keep staring at your jacket? Is it because Beo-”_

_“No!”_ Yeonjun quickly responds, startling Soobin.

_“Are you still not over it?”_ Soobin asks him again with a teasing smile this time and he only looks at him like he doesn’t know what to say.

_“I- Shut up.”_ He looks the other way, cheeks pink again. _“Why don’t you wear this?”_ He offers him.

_“Ooh, new, expensive jacket, why not.”_ He was about to take it but Yeonjun changed his mind.

_“Actually, you know what? I see you all the time, I’ll remember it again. I’ll just put it in my locker.”_ And so he did, folding his jacket neatly, putting it inside his locker where it takes up most of the space.

_“Oh my fuck- Choi Yeonjun, you know what? You fell in too deep.”_

The real reason why his jacket was in the locker.

“Oh but you looked really cool with it, hyung” Beomgyu compliments him again.

“What,” Yeonjun mutters, surprised by the sudden compliment he gave him. The third one he got from him just this day.

“You looked cool in it,” he continues, smiling and leaning at a chair next to him.”But you’ve always looked cool anyway, hyung.”

“Y-yeah, I…” Yeonjun stammers while he tries to say something in return.

“Isn’t the bet over?” Hueningkai whispers to Taehyun.

“Yup,” Taehyun replies, a smile on his face from what he’s seeing.

“See you later, hyung!” Beomgyu waves at him and grabs Taehyun and Hueningkai’s hand, speed walking out of the cafeteria.

“Wait, just him?” Soobin whines but the three were already out of range when he said it. He looks at Yeonjun. “Well, there’s a chance.”

“What?”

“He might like you back too.” He answers with a smile.

“How are you so sure? What if it’s a bet again?” Yeonjun doubtfully says. 

“It’s not anymore, hyung, Taehyun told me. And he doesn’t look like he’s doing it because of a bet anymore. I think he might really just like you.” Soobin tells his dubious friend.

Yeonjun thinks about it, hopes getting higher again. A part of him badly wants to believe Soobin, and he lets it, he lets that part of him believe Soobin.

Once Beomgyu, Taehyun and Hueningkai are outside the cafeteria, he lets go of their hand and walks at a normal pace.

“Isn’t the bet over, hyung?” Taeyhun asks him, repeating the question Hueningkai asked him a while ago.

“Yeah,” he replies.

“So, why did you?”

“I just,” He looks at him and briefly thinks to himself. “I guess I just wanted to.” he answers with a smile, continuing his walk.

•••

Days have passed since Beomgyu has started flirting with Yeonjun, and he didn’t just stop on the first day even though he won the bet. Every time he does so, Yeonjun would always run out of things to say. He’d always panic and freeze right where he’s standing so Soobin would always have to make him come back to reality. Beomgyu would compliment him, gently tease him, and wink at him from time to time, leaving his hyung flustered every single time.

Somehow, he’s come to enjoy it. He enjoys seeing Yeonjun get flustered because of him, because he thinks it’s cute. It’s cute how he’d make a simple compliment, a simple gesture, and a simple wink and Yeonjun would get flustered easily. He got his face burned to the back of his mind now, and he can’t help to always feel giddy and smile every time he remembers it. The cute little smile he’d always try to hide and always looking away with pink cheeks, as pink as his lips.

The nagging feeling still follows him, but now he has a name for it.

It’s been a week and Taehyun’s in his room, they’re waiting for Soobin and Yeonjun to come so they can prepare the surprise they had planned for Hueningkai’s birthday tomorrow. Beomgyu plays on his pc while they wait and Taehyun’s scrolling through his phone.

“Defeat.” The voice in Beomgyu’s game declares, he exasperatedly sighs.

“Again?” Taehyun asks.

“My hands are too shaky to play right now.” He tells him.

“Why? Are you nervous about something?” Taehyun asks again.

“Maybe?” Beomgyu says, unsure.

“Why aren’t you sure about that? Also what are you nervous about anyways, we’re just planning for Kai’s birthday. I’m pretty sure it’ll all go well.” Taehyun tells him, not sure if that’s what he’s nervous about.

“It’s not that,” Beomgyu clears.

“Then what?”

“Yeonjun-hyung,”

“Yeonjun-hyung?” Taehyun asks surprisingly, he never thought he’ll see the day he gets nervous around Yeonjun when he’s the one who’s been flirting with him for the past few days. “You’re nervous because of him? Aren’t you the one who keeps flirting with him with the utmost confidence that I’ve only seen when you flirt with him? You’re nervous?”

Taehyun asks him repeatedly, entertained with the fact that he’s the one who’s now nervous.

“Taehyun-ah…” Beomgyu mutters, placing his face on both of his hands. “I think I like Yeonjun-hyung.” He tells him, a weight finally lifting from his chest.

Taehyun’s surprised, not because of Beomgyu just confessing to him that he likes Yeonjun, - he already knows that - but Beomgyu taking this long to actually finally realize his feelings. But it also makes him happy, he finally realized his feelings, he doesn’t have to watch them be oblivious about their own feelings or each others’ anymore. Him and Soobin don't have to suffer from watching them be like that almost all the time.

“Finally,” Taehyun sighs in relief.

“What do you mean ‘finally’?” Beomgyu questions him, confused from his sigh of relief.

“It really took you this long to realize your feelings for him?”

“What? This long?”

“Yeah, you dumbass. You’re so oblivious even with your own feelings.” Taehyun chuckles. “And I don’t think you just like hyung, I think you’re in love with him even.

“What? How would you know that?” He exclaimed and just from the mention of the word ‘love’, he stood up from his seat.

“Judging from your reaction alone, you really are, hyung.”

“M-maybe, I think I just realized it too.” He leans back to his seat. “But you’re not even that surprised when I told you, how did you know?” 

“Hyung, even before you started flirting with him I already knew you liked him. You’d always look at hyung with adoration in your eyes even if you say you’re annoyed by him. You’d always go to him as fast as you can whenever he needs you. You’ve **always** liked him, hyung.” Taehyun explains to him, making everything clearer for Beomgyu.

“I did, didn’t I?” He says softly, slowly realizing more of the things he used to do for Yeonjun and how he didn’t realize he did all of that because he already liked him.

“Yeah, you did.” Taehyun puts his phone down. “So what are you gonna do now?”

“I don’t know.” Beomgyu shrugs.

“You’re not gonna confess to him?” Taehyun asks, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t even know if he likes me back.” Beomgyu laughs at his question.

“Well, who knows?” Taehyun tells him with a knowing smile and Beomgyu just brushes it off.

•••

Meanwhile, Soobin and Yeonjun are still riding the bus to Beomgyu’s house. Soobin dressed casually since he’s only going to his friend’s house to plan for a birthday of his other friend, glasses, black pants, white tshirt, and a light blue cardigan. Yeonjun, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of that. He made himself look stylish like he’d always do. He’s wearing his glasses too, a black turtleneck, black pants, and a long brown coat.

“Are you sure you’re not ‘dressed to impress’ right now?” Soobin asks him after seeing his outfit.

“I’m always ‘dressed to impress’.” He answers him nonchalantly.

“You know what I mean.” Soobin rolls his eyes at him. “We’re only going to Beomgyu’s house but you’re dressed like you're going to your first date.”

“What- what do you mean…” Yeonjun stumbles on his words again.

“See you can’t even say anything.” Soobin laughs at him and Yeonjun just rolls his eyes and sits down, Soobin follows suit.

They sat in silence for a while, busy scrolling through their phones when Soobin asked Yeonjun a question. A question Soobin has been asking him for a while, a question he’s been avoiding to answer.

“So, when are you going to tell him?” Soobin asks him, maybe for the hundredth time this week and Yeonjun just sighs.

“I don’t know. I really don't, because what if-”

“What if he doesn't really like you back?” Soobin completes his question for him and he nods, kind of scared.

He's been asking that himself for some time now. What if Beomgyu flirting with him doesn't really mean that he likes him back, that maybe he's just having fun, curious to see his reaction? What if he just fooled himself, made himself believe that he has a chance when he doesn't? But then why would Beomgyu do that, again and again, to the point that Yeonjun has let himself completely fall all over again, and it would feel like yesterday when he first liked him. Because what if there's really a chance, even if it's microscopic.

He'd take it. He had already taken it, still scared but still holding on to that microscopic chance.

Soobin sighs. “Wow, you're just hopelessly in love with him are you, hyung?”

Yeonjun chuckles at what he said.

“You know, right now, you remind me of that time you realized that you had a crush on him.” Soonin chuckles remembering those memories. “Even back then you still hopelessly like him. You'd ask me how you can get him to like you back and I jokingly told you to learn how to flirt and you took it seriously.”

“Oh right, you're the root of it all.” Yeonjun giggles as he points to him.

“I didn't actually think you'd take it seriously though.” He raises his hand. “I was so surprised when you told me you were gonna do it the day after I told you. You prepared so much for that day, and what happened?” He asks him, making him continue.

“I fell,” He chuckles. “Literally fell. In front of him too.”

Soobin laughs at the memory and Yeonjun does so too.

“He asked you if you were stupid and you just said ‘yeah,’ out of panic and he laughed at you.”

“Yeah, but then he brought me to the nurse since I got a wound from falling. He never left my side that day. I guess that's when I fell more but metaphorically now.” He smiles remembering that day Beomgyu never leaving his side, looking after him and taking care of him.

“And instead of continuing to flirt with Beomgyu, you just started to flirt with other people instead.”

“I was just actually trying to see their reactions, if my flirting was good and if Beomgyu would react that way too. Then I became the flirt on campus, so I just continued I guess…” Yeonjun tells him.

“But you never tried it on Beomgyu even though he's the one you wanted to like you back.”

“Yeah… I was…” He thinks for a word to say.

“Scared?” Soobin asks.

“Yeah,” Yeonjun chuckles. “I guess you could say that.”

“It's okay to be scared. You're in love, it's normal. We never really know what's gonna happen next. But I can assure you, hyung, even if you tell him and he rejects you, I don't think he'd see you differently. There might really be a chance he'll like you back. It wouldn't hurt to hold on to that small chance.” He looks at his hyung with a genuine smile. “You can tell him whenever you're ready, hyung”

He smiles back at him. “Thanks.”

•••

The two friends finally arrive at Beomgyu's house, Taehyun the one letting them in from the gates. They all head to Beomgyu's room, bringing the gifts they'll wrap later, and they see him cutting out letters for the triangle banners. Beomgyu looks up from his work, his face immediately lighting up as soon as he sees Yeonjun and Yeonjun smiles at him.

“You're dressed really cool, hyung, like always.” He compliments him.

Yeonjun gets flustered again, but now he handles it well, slowly getting used to so he doesn't stumble with his words again.

“Thanks,” he says and looks down at his feet, smiling.

They all found somewhere to sit around the room, Yeonjun choosing to sit near Beomgyu, and they continued to make decorations and wrap their gifts for Hueningkai's birthday tomorrow. And of course, Beomgyu never misses a chance to flirt with Yeonjun while they do so.

Today, Yeonjun tries to flirt back but instantly backfires when Beomgyu returns it to him instead, leaving him the flustered one as always.

After some time, Taehyun and Soobin decided to pick up some materials they lack to continue with their surprise, leaving Yeonjun and Beomgyu behind. The two of them might have planned this too, so they could finally get the two their chance to talk to each other, just by themselves. They leave them and a wave of awkwardness suddenly fills the room.

Flirting might just be their front now. Both of them becoming too awkward to say anything and both of them becoming too scared about revealing their feelings to each other. And Beomgyu still continues with his front.

“You know, hyung, stars can only be seen in the sky, right?” Beomgyu asks him

Yeonjun looks at him as if telling him if he's seriously asking such an obvious question. “Of course.”

“Well then why are you here?” He tells him, looking at his eyes and smiling at him.

“That's- that's so corny.” Yeonjun tries to resist smiling, looking the other way.

“Then why does it work?” He asks him, getting closer.

“It doesn't.”

“Then why aren't you looking at me?” He says, moving an inch closer.

“I'm-” He looks at him and he's breathless. So he hides his face woth his hands, trying not to look at him again. Beomgyu just moves closer until they're only one feet away and he holds his hand.

“Hyung,” Beomgyu calls him with a pout. He giggles at how he looks, _he's so cute_ , he thinks to himself.

“Why…” Yeonjun says under his breath, barely can be heard since he buried his face on his hands.

“What?”

He lifts his face a bit so he can be heard. “Why?”

“Why what?” Beomgyu asks, confused.

“Why are you doing this?” He says, lifting his face up as Beomgyu still holds his hands. His eyebrows furrowed and face looking for answers. “Why are you flirting with me? Why do you still keep flirting with me even when the bet was done?”

Beomgyu's now the one who freezes, he doesn't know how to answer without having to pour out his feelings for him. So he just stares at him. He stares at his eyes and so does Yeonjun. He stares at him, hoping he'll get what he wants to say through him with that. He stares at him with thousands of words unsaid, but is already on the tip of his tongue and ready to be declared.

He heaves a sigh, “Hyung,”

Then voices are outside. Beomgyu lets go of Yeonjun immediately out of panic and returns to his spot. Yeonjun goes back to what he was doing too like nothing happened.

Taehyun and Soobin open the door and go in but are immediately greeted by a heavy atmosphere. They both look at the two that they left, doing the same thing that they've been doing just as they left them, but something feels heavier. They walk to where they were seated, pulling the materials they need out of the bag.

“What happened…?” Taehyun whispers to Soobin.

“I don't know, but they definitely talked.” Soobin sighs. “Let's just hope it wasn't bad?” He says, unsure.

They continued with the surprise, still like nothing happened, like everything's normal. But Beomgyu didn't flirt with Yeonjun anymore after.

•••

Hueningkai's birthday. They went to his house, decorated his backyard with the banners they made and strings they bought. He also has a treehouse with a balcony, which they cleaned and placed some pillows and blankets so they'd rest there after their little party. Their surprise for him was a cake, a cake that they made together, and Taehyun who prepared something special.

After preparing all of it, Soobin and Taehyun made Beomgyu and Yeonjun sit at the balcony of the treehouse so they'd throw the confettis once Hueningkai came out. They sit at the edge, feet dangling and hands resting on the railings of the balcony. They still haven't talked to each other after yesterday, air still heavy between them. But they brush it off, just this time, for their friend's birthday.

Taehyun and Soobin went to fetch Hueningkai from his room. They made him stay there for a while as they prepared even though he wanted to help. They told him it was his birthday, so he'll just have to enjoy it, but maybe he can help with the cleaning later. The two left still sit in silence with bags of confettis sitting in their lap, waiting for the birthday boy to come.

Beomgyu glances at Yeonjun. He's pouting as he waits for them to come out, and he feels regret. He regrets not answering him earlier, not answering his questions earlier, then maybe they didn't have to share this heavy feeling. Then Yeonjun looks at him, eyes still looking for his answers.

They stay like that for a while. Always staring at each other, words just right about to leave their lips but no voice comes out.

Then the door to the house opens, their two friends coming out with the birthday boy between them. Soobin holds the cake and Taehyun holds Hueningkai. He holds his hand, leading him to his spot, his eyes closed. Once he's on the right spot, they tell him to open his eyes, greeting him with a beautifully decorated backyard and the cake that they made together. Beomgyu and Yeonjun starts to throw the confettis and Hueningkai looks up to them, smiling and giggling after seeing them there.

Taehyun's surprise was next. He gifted him a sunflower, his favorite. A sunflower he grew just for him, just for his sun. Hueningkai thanks and hugs him, he hugs him tight and they stay so for quite some time.

“Thank you, hyung,” He thanks the three of them and faces Taehyun again. “Thank you too, Tyunnie.”

“Anything for you.” He tells him.

“Okay, who wants some cake?” Soobin asks them and they all raise their hands. “Let's go inside then, all the plates are there.”

The three of them head inside already since they're closer and the other two still have to climb down. Yeonjun got up and was about to leave.

“I like you,” Beomgyu declares but more to himself with how quiet he said it.

Yeonjun stops on his tracks. “What?”

“I like you,” Beomgyu confesses, louder this time and Yeonjun's eyes widen. “I like you, hyung. That's why even after the bet I still flirted with you. To be honest I also continued because your reactions would always be so cute.”

He chuckles and rubs the back of his neck, not sure of what to say next so he just says whatever he feels.

“I like you, hyung. I think I've always had but only realized recently.” Looking away after he's done answering, afraid of what the other might say or that he'll get rejected.

But Yeonjun sits down again. He faces Beomgyu and cups his cheeks with his hands. He smiles at him, smiling fondly. He got his answer. He breathes a long and heavy sigh of relief and rests their foreheads together. He looks at Beomgyu's eyes like it holds the universe now.

“I like you too, I always have.” He confesses and Beomgyu smiles back.

They stare and giggle at each other, the heaviest weight lifted from their chests. They can finally breathe, they don't have to use a front anymore.

“Okay, flirts, do you want some cake?” Soobin interrupts, smiling at them, feeling happy for his friends.

They nod and climb down together, hands intertwined and never letting go.

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic here so i hope it's good and i hope you enjoy! ^^
> 
> thank you so much for reading! <3


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